Distributed IP address assignment protocol for a multi-hop wireless home mesh network with collision detection

ABSTRACT

An apparatus and method for a multi-tier wireless home mesh network is described. The method may include formation of a wireless home networking environment comprising a collection of nodes that operate as a decentralized, wireless network with multiple sub-networks or tiers that are responsible for different functions within the network. Each node of the multi-tier network is configured to forward data to other nodes and is assigned to a particular tier based on the node&#39;s performance capabilities. The method may include the automatic establishment of a unique Internet protocol (IP) address within a multi-hop wireless home mesh network with the ability to do automatic collision detection and correction. Once established as either a mobile node or a stationary node of the wireless home mesh network, a new node (the home electronics device) may wirelessly communicate with one or more existing nodes of the wireless home mesh network. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

FIELD

The invention relates generally to the field of wireless deviceconnectivity. More particularly, one or more of the embodiments of theinvention relate to a method and apparatus for distributed IP addressassignment protocol for a multi-hop wireless home mesh network withcollision detection.

BACKGROUND

A wireless network can provide a flexible data communication system thatcan either replace or extend a wired network. Using radio frequency (RF)technology, wireless networks transmit and receive data over the airthrough walls, ceilings and even cement structures without wiredcabling. For example, a wireless local area network (WLAN) provides allthe features and benefits of traditional LAN technology, such asEthernet and Token Ring, but without the limitations of being tetheredtogether by a cable. This provides greater freedom and increasedflexibility.

Currently, a wireless network operating in accordance with the Instituteof Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 Standard (e.g.,IEEE Std. 802.11a/b/g/n) may be configured in one of two operatingmodes: infrastructure mode and ad hoc mode. As of today, most installedwireless networks are configured and operate in infrastructure modewhere one or more access points (APs) are configured as interfaces for awired distribution network (e.g., Ethernet). In infrastructure mode,mobile devices with wireless connectivity (e.g., laptop computer with aradio network interface card “NIC”) are able to establish communicationsand associate with the AP, and thus, the users of these devices are ableto access content within servers connected to the wired network.

As an optional feature, however, the IEEE 802.11 Standard specifies adhoc mode, which allows the radio NIC within each wireless device tooperate in an independent basic service set (IBSS) networkconfiguration. Hence, the wireless devices perform peer-to-peercommunications with each other instead of utilizing the AP forsupporting such wireless communications. The ad hoc mode also allowsusers to spontaneously form a wireless LAN. For example, a group ofemployees with laptops implemented with IEEE 802.11 wireless chipsetsmay gather at a coffee house and form a small WLAN by switching theirNICs to ad hoc mode. As a result, the employees could share presentationcharts and spreadsheets without the need for cabling or an AP.

One type of ad hoc network is referred to as a mesh network, whichallows for continuous connections and reconfiguration around broken orblocked paths by “hopping” from device to another device until thedestination is reached. Mesh networks differ from other networks in thatthe devices can all connect to each other via multiple hops without aninfrastructure (e.g., an AP), and these devices can be mobile orstationary. Related to mesh networks, mobile ad-hoc networks (MANETs)are self-configuring networks of mobile routers, where the routers arefree to relocate.

One of the primary advantages of mesh networks (and MANETs) is theirability to extend the range of the wireless network. For example, a useron one side of the building can send a packet destined to another useron the far side of the facility, well beyond the point-to-point range ofIEEE 802.11-compliant AP, by having the radio signal hop from one mobiledevice to mobile device until the radio signal gets to its targeteddestination. This can extend the range of the WLAN from hundreds of feetto miles, depending on the concentration of wireless users.

With recent technology advances in integrated circuits, andbreakthroughs in multiple input and multiple output (MIMO) systems,wireless digital communications have entered a new era that allowsfaster speed for wireless networking applications. Mobile devices suchas smart phones, music/movie players, personal digital assistants,gaming devices and the like, are creating a demand for new wirelesscommunication and networking technologies to allow seamless connectionof wireless mobile devices within a home network that not only supporthigh-bandwidth demanding applications such as high-definition (HD)videos, but also relies on manufacturer compatibility between thewireless devices to mitigate interloper and rogue network activity.

SUMMARY

One disclosed feature of the embodiments provides a method and apparatusfor a distributed IP address assignment protocol for a multi-hopwireless home mesh network with collision detection. A multi-hopwireless home mesh network is described that improves existing homenetwork performance for better range/rate and interconnection withoutdoor wireless networks. Home (consumer) electronics devices may beclassified according to a multi-tier system, comprising a collection ofnodes that operate as a decentralized, wireless home mesh network withmultiple (N≧1) sub-networks (hereinafter referred to as “tiers”) thatare responsible for different functions within the network. Each node ofthe multi-hop wireless network is assigned to a particular tier based onthe node's performance capabilities, and is configured to forward datato other nodes.

In one embodiment, a hierarchical architecture is described wheredifferent functions can be implemented for stationary and mobile nodesin the network. In one embodiment, using the various available homeelectronic devices, these devices may be organized as nodes of awireless home mesh network. For example, a first tier of the network mayresemble a traditional Internet connection (via a cable/DSL connection,or 3G/WiMax outdoor mesh). The node directly connected to the Internetmay be referred to as a gateway node and there may be multiple gatewaynodes in a home network. A second tier of the network represents thebackhaul of the network that interconnects various stationary(fixed-location) consumer electronics (CE) devices (e.g., flat-panelTVs, Playstations, or desktop computers) that are usually stationary andelectrically coupled to a power supply (non-power constrained). A thirdtier of the network may include links between a device belonging to thesecond tier of the network and mobile CE devices.

In a further embodiment, the method may include the automaticestablishment of a unique Internet protocol (IP) address within adetected multi-hop wireless home mesh network. Once established aseither a mobile node or a stationary node of the wireless home meshnetwork, a new node (the home electronics device) may wirelesslycommunicate with one or more existing nodes of the multi-hop wirelesshome mesh network.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by wayof limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a three-tier wireless ad hoc homenetwork, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a tier-2 node within a wirelessad hoc home network, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating wireless ad hoc home networkprotocol architecture, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a wireless home electronicsdevice configured to implement a wireless home mesh network (WHMN),according to one embodiment.

FIG. 5 illustrates a generic WHMN message packet format according to oneembodiment.

FIG. 6 illustrates an Ethernet packet including a WHMN message packetformat according to one embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating broadcast of an AutoIP (AIP)probe message for a new node within a WHMN, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating the generation of a collisionmessage within a WHMN, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating the joining of a new node withina WHMN after a network partition, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a broadcast message sent out tocollect node IP addresses when two WHMNs merge, according to oneembodiment.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating response messages in response toa broadcast message for collection of IP addresses according to oneembodiment.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating detection of an IP addresscollision in a WHMN, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 13 illustrates a message flow process, performed by a node of aWHMN to establish a unique IP address within a WHMN, according to oneembodiment.

FIG. 14 illustrates a message flow process performed by a node of a WHMNto resolve a detected IP address collision, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a flow chart illustrating a method for generating IP addresswithin a multi-tier WHMN, according to one embodiment.

FIGS. 16A and 16B are flow charts illustrating a method for IP collisiondetection and resolution as performed by the nodes of a WHMN, accordingto one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the present invention. It will be apparent; however, toone skilled in the art that present invention may be practiced withoutsome of these specific details. In addition, the following descriptionprovides examples, and the accompanying drawings show various examplesfor the purposes of illustration. However, these examples should not beconstrued in a limiting sense as they are merely intended to provideexamples of embodiments of the invention rather than to provide anexhaustive list of all possible implementations. In other instances,well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form inorder to avoid obscuring the details of the disclosed features ofvarious described embodiments.

System Architecture

In the following description, certain terminology is used to describecertain features of the invention. For instance, the term “wirelessnode” is generally defined as a device with data processing and wirelesscommunication capabilities. The term “logic” is generally defined ashardware and/or software configured to perform one or more functions.One example of a certain type of logic is a wireless chipset, being oneor more integrated circuits, operating to request access to a wirelessnetwork and/or authenticate a wireless node before granting the nodeaccess to the wireless network. “Software” is generally describes as aseries of executable instructions in the form of an application, anapplet, or even a routine. The software may be stored in any type ofmachine readable medium such as a programmable electronic circuit, asemiconductor memory device such as volatile memory (e.g., random accessmemory, etc.) and/or non-volatile memory such as any type of read-onlymemory (ROM) or flash memory, a portable storage medium (e.g., USBdrive, optical disc, digital tape), or the like.

The term “message” represents information configured for transmissionover a network. One type of message is a frame that is generally definedas a group of bits of information collectively operating as a singledata unit. The term “content” includes video, audio, images, data files,or any combination thereof.

Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary embodiment of a multi-tier wirelesshome mesh network 100 is described. Multi-tier wireless home meshnetwork 100 (hereinafter referred to as “home network” or “WHMN” 100)comprises a collection of nodes that operate as a decentralized,wireless home mesh network with multiple (N≧1) sub-networks 110 ₁-110_(N) (hereinafter singularly referred to as “tiers”) that areresponsible for different functions within home network 100. Hence,mostly every node of home network 100 is configured to forward data toother nodes and is assigned to a different tier based on its performancecapabilities and power constraints. The assignment of a node to a tieris a decision based on performance capabilities of the node, whereasrouting decisions are made by the nodes based on the networkconnectivity and the ability to forward data by that particular node.

For instance, one embodiment of home network 100 features a hierarchicalarchitecture comprising three (3) tiers that are assigned based on thecapabilities of the node. A first tier (“tier 1”) 110 ₁ is responsiblefor establishing and controlling access to an external network such asthe Internet. For example, first tier 110 ₁ may resemble a traditionalInternet connection via a cable or direct subscriber line (DSL)connection or 3G/WiMax/Outdoor mesh. As illustrated, first tier 110 ₁comprises a first node 120, which is commonly referred to as a “gatewaynode.” Gateway node 120 may include, but is not limited or restricted toa cable or DSL modem, a wireless router or bridge, and the like.Although not shown, multiple gateway nodes may be present within homenetwork 100 in order to provide multiple communication paths to externalnetwork(s).

A second tier (“tier 2”) 110 ₂ of home network 100 may represent awireless network backhaul that interconnects various stationary(fixed-location) wireless nodes such as stationary (fixed-location)electronics devices adapted for communicating over a wirelesscommunication medium such as, for example, radio frequency (RF) waves.As described herein, an “electronics device” may be stationary ormobile. A “stationary electronics device” includes, but is not limitedor restricted to: a flat-panel television (130, 131, and 132), a gamingconsole (140), desktop computer (150), or any other device that isusually stationary and is electrically coupled to an AC power outlet.Hence, stationary wireless nodes are not subject to power constraintsthat are usually present in mobile wireless nodes where power usage isminimized to extend battery life between recharges.

Referring still to FIG. 1, a third tier (“tier 3”) 110 ₃ of home network100 may include links between a wireless node belonging to second tier110 ₂ and one or more mobile nodes (160-169). A “mobile electronicsdevice” or “mobile wireless node” may include any battery poweredelectronics device with wireless connectivity including, but not limitedto, a laptop computer, handheld device (e.g., personal digitalassistant, ultra mobile device, cellular phone, portable media player,wireless camera, remote control, etc.) or the like non-stationaryconsumer electronics devices. Since mobile wireless nodes normally haveresource constraints (e.g., limited power supplies, limited processingspeeds, limited memory, etc.), third tier 110 ₃ may provide reducednetwork services. In one embodiment, mobile wireless nodes of homenetwork 100 may act as a slave or child connecting directly to a tier 2node, which may further limit their functionality within home network100.

Below, Table 1 summarizes a multi-tier, wireless home mesh networkarchitecture, categorization by potential network characteristics, tiernode descriptions and traffic type that is prevalent over home network100.

TABLE 1 multi-tier wireless home mesh network scenario CharacteristicsExamples Network Dimension ~50 × 60 sq ft; House 1-2 stories or high-Apartment building rising building Business Node Number Tier 2 - 3~10; 2TVs, 1 desktop Tier 3 - 5~20 computer, 1 PS3; 2 laptops, 4 mobilephones, 4 media players, . . . Distribution Indoor, 3D, Non- UniformlyLOS, link distance distributed Tier-2 15~60 ft nodes, clustered Tier 3Node Type Tier 1 Usually one or two Cable/DSL modem, (per Tier Tier 1nodes WiMax/3G, Network) Outdoor Mesh Tier 2 Fixed location, TV, desktoppower-sufficient computer, gaming (TX power console (e.g. PS3), 100 mW-1W) etc. Tier 3 Mobile, power- Laptop, mobile limited (TX power phone,portable 1-100 mW) media player, wireless camera, remote Traffic HDvideo ~30 Mbps 1080p/i, 720p/i, streaming compressed 480p/i quality HDvideos SD Video/ ~100k-1 Mbps Internet video clip Audio video, 32k-256kbps (e.g. YouTube), streaming audio webcam output, mp3 audio, voiceData Bursty http type data (web transmission, browsing) ~20 Mbps forcertain user satisfaction

As indicated by Table 1, home network 100 is distinct from conventionalmesh-network solutions because home network 100 is directed to consumerelectronics (CE) devices and video-centric applications. Based on thetraffic indicated in Table 1, which may include high-definition (HD)video, audio clips and video clips, as well as user data, wireless NICsmay be incorporated within some of the stationary nodes of the homenetwork 100. For example, by multiplexing one flow of compressed HDvideo, four Internet video sessions plus four audio/video sessions andsome intermittent http data traffic, the load on the backhaul link 170is approximately 60 megabits per second for TCP/UDP type traffic, whichmay require at least 100 megabits per second of raw radio supportconsidering media access control (MAC) layer efficiency. According tothis example, the tier 2 nodes might require an 802.11n type radio(e.g., at 5 GHz band) to meet such a bandwidth requirement.

Referring now to FIG. 2, an exemplary embodiment of tier 2 node 130 isshown. Herein, tier 2 node 130 comprises an embedded wireless networkchipset 200 that includes one or more processors 210, memory 220, acommunications interface 230, and a user interface (UI) 250. Accordingto this embodiment, processor(s) 210 are adapted to initiate and processrequest messages to establish a unique IP address after joining homenetwork 100 of FIG. 1, as well as to detect IP address collisions when acandidate IP address of a node that has joined home network 100 is notunique within home network 100. These messages are transmitted andreceived over communications interface 230, which may include one ormore antennas 240 ₁-240 _(N) (N≧1) that are controlled by processor 210or dedicated circuitry (not shown) to tune and receive incoming wirelesssignals on a particular channel and to transmit outgoing wirelesssignals to other nodes over that particular channel.

Referring back to FIG. 1, prior to communicating data, tier 2 node 130needs to associate with another node that is already part of homenetwork 100. After an association is established, tier 2 node 130 andanother tier 2 node 150 can exchange data. The association process is atwo step process involving three states: (1) unauthenticated andunassociated; (2) authenticated and unassociated; and (3) authenticatedand associated. To transition between the states, the communicatingparties exchange messages called management frames. In operation, allnodes are adapted to transmit one or more management frames, referred toas Neighbor Discovery Request messages, to determine if there are anynodes that can decode the message and respond in a timely manner.

Before conducting operations to associate (join) home network 100, tier2 node 130 listens for response messages to a Neighbor Discovery messagein order to identify what other nodes are within range and incommunication over what channel. After identifying node 132, nodes 130and 132 may perform a mutual authentication by exchanging severalmanagement frames as part of the process. After successfulauthentication, tier 2 node 130 moves into the second stateauthenticated and unassociated. However, until a node 130 generates aunique IP address within WHMN 100, node 130 is unable to route datawithin WHMN 100.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a block diagram shows one embodiment of an OpenSystems Interconnection (OSI) layer representation of the systemprotocol architecture 300 for a node within home network 100 is shown.This protocol architecture 300 is provided to achieve a self-organizing,self-configuring home network where different functions or features aredesigned or enhanced to current wireless network architectures builtupon TCP/IP/802.11.

To enable wireless home mesh network functions, a single WiFi radioplatform may be used. For example, for tier 2 nodes, one IEEE802.11a/b/g/n, dual-band card (mini PCI, USB dongle, or the like) isused for backhaul links to operate at a 5 GHz band or higher bandwidth.In one embodiment of the invention, links connecting tier 3 nodes arecompatible with legacy 802.11b/g mode simply because, at this time, mostcurrent mobile nodes support IEEE 802.11b/g WiFi. Of course, theparticular wireless PHY and MAC layers may be altered accordingly.

As shown in FIG. 3, in the protocol architecture 300 described, wirelesshome mesh network (“WHMN”) functions 320 are placed between MAC layer310 and network IP layer 340 to provide a solution that is independentof the higher OSI layers deployed and can be more easily reconfigured.Representatively, in system protocol architecture 300 of FIG. 3,enhanced functionality is placed in WHMN layer 320 between MAC layer 310and a Network (IP) layer 340. Hence, WHMN layer 320 generallyconstitutes an “OSI layer 2.5” solution. The placement of WHMN layer 320provides enhanced functionality that is transparent to both lower andhigher OSI layers, and different radio chipsets can be supported. WHMNlayer 320 carries key functions for network configuration, includingdistributed IP address assignment and collision detection as describedbelow.

In one embodiment, WHMN functions layer 320 is transparent to both lowerand higher layers, to enable support for different radio chipsets. TheWHMN layer 320 can perform functions of WHMN software organization andconfiguration such as auto-PHY (network discovery) configuration 322,layer 2 routings 326, auto-IP configuration 328, etc. In one embodiment,each node uses a MAC packet and MAC address for initial topology setup.

As shown in FIG. 3, WHMN layer 320 includes various smart networkfunctions (322-336), according to one embodiment. These smart networkfunctions are placed between (and may overlap with) MAC layer and IPlayers 310 and 340. In one embodiment, the auto-IP configurationfunction 328 may provide automated IP address generation once anelectronic device has joined an identified WHMN. In one embodiment,electronics devices, as referred to herein, describe electronic devicesthat include a radio NIC from an original equipment manufacturer (OEM).Some sample OEM electronic devices may include Sony® BRAVIA® digitaltelevisions, Sony® Playstation 3® game consoles, Sony® VAIO® computers,or other like Sony® stationary and handheld devices such as smartdevices.

In one embodiment, auto-IP configuration 328 may provide features forautomated IP address generation and maintaining the uniqueness of the IPaddresses by the nodes of a wireless home mesh network, that areincorporated into an OEM electronics device such as electronics device400, as shown in FIG. 4.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, a wireless node that is WHMN-enabled, such asan OEM electronics device 400, includes a microprocessor 210 which useswireless chipset 200 to access memory 212 and communications interface230. The communications interface may include one or more (N>1) tunableantennas 240 ₁-240 _(N). In contrast to conventional electronicsdevices, device 400 includes wireless ad hoc home network (“WHMN”) logic402. The WHMN logic 402 includes automated IP address formation logic410. The logic 410 uses collision detection logic 420 and IP generationlogic 430.

As indicated above, the WHMN protocol stack is a cross-layer designwhere WHMN functions, including initial setup, routing, quality ofservice, and security features, are placed into OSI layers 2 and 2.5,which are below an IP layer (see FIG. 3). As a result, the WHMN protocolmay solve connectivity issues in a multi-hop network that aretransparent to any service applications built upon IP. In oneembodiment, auto-IP configuration functionality 328 provides assignmentof a unique IP address to a new node joining a WHMN, for example, asshown in FIGS. 7 and 8, as described in further detail below.

In one embodiment, since devices may join a WHMN at the same time, thelikelihood of choosing the same address is reduced by providing apseudo-random seed for generating a unique IP address within the WHMN.For example, a pseudo-random seed may use a device's hardware MACaddress to distribute over the address ranges of, for example,192.168.0.1 to 192.168.254.254. Generally, after a device chooses acandidate IP address, it broadcasts the candidate IP address to the WHMNand waits for a collision response (see FIG. 13). If a collisionresponse is received, the candidate IP address is not unique and a newaddress is generated. In one embodiment, IP address generation logicperforms the initial as well as new address generation in response tocollision detection.

Referring again to FIG. 3, in one embodiment, IP collision detectionlogic 420 is responsible for responding to IP address messages issued bya new node within a WHMN. In addition, if a device receives a requestwith the same IP address as its own IP address, the device will unicasta collision response message to the sender, as performed by IP collisiondetection logic 420.

In one embodiment, when wireless node 400 is powered on, WHMN logic 402may scan each channel to detect the presence of other networks. Forexample, activation of wireless node 400 may trigger the WHMN logic 402to issue one or more 802.11 ad hoc functions to scan each wirelesschannel to determine a list of available wireless networks. Based on thedetected beacons, logic 402 may identify one or more wireless networksthat are operating in an ad hoc mode. The WHMN logic 402 may transmitone or more security parameters to enable a node within a WHMN to verifythe electronics device 400 as an electronics device from a same OEM.However, a WHMN-enable device may also be a node of a WHMN, as describedherein.

For example, referring again to FIG. 1, digital television (DTV) 130 mayinitially become a first stationary node for home network 100 of FIG. 1.According to such an embodiment, DTV 130 will include a radio NIC whichwill periodically emit a beacon to enable identification of home network100 by any newly-added consumer electronics devices. For example,desktop computer 150, upon activation, may detect the presence of homenetwork 100 based on a response received from DTV 130 in response to aconnection request message. In one embodiment, the various messages usedfor discovery, authentication, IP address generation, and collisiondetection are organized based on a proprietary format as shown in FIG.5.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary format of a WHMN message 500 which isrepresentative of a messaging format that node 400 of FIG. 4 uses forinitial WHMN setup such as Auto IP propagation and collision detection.For example, during the auto-ip phase, a node would exchange severalcontrol messages to detect and correct an IP address collision. Anotherexample, could be the one during a discovery phase where nodes analyzetheir wireless environment, each new wireless node may run a discoveryscan to all wireless networks detected in its neighborhood. The new nodethen transmits a Discovery message (as a broadcast or multicast) to allidentified wireless ad hoc networks to identify a WHMN in itsneighborhood. Existing nodes of a WHMN respond to the Discovery messagewith appropriate details necessary to establish a new connection. Thedevice discovery and a WHMN authentication process are further describedin co-pending application Ser. No. 12/360,771.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 5 as an illustrative embodiment,WHMN message 500 may include (i) a message header 502, (ii) messagecontent 510, and (iii) a message tail 512. Herein, according to thisexemplary embodiment, message header 502 includes a WHMN version 504, atransaction (message) ID 506 that identifies the particular message, atype parameter 508 indicates a type of node transmitting the message(e.g., tier 1, tier 2 or tier 3). Message content 510 may includeencoded data that is used to protect the data from interlopers and toensure that the data is accessible only by the targeted wireless node.Message tail 512 includes a WHMN code 514. In one embodiment of theinvention, each WHMN message ends with a repeated WHMN code 514 that maybe repeated a predetermined number of times to ensure that an entiremessage is received without error.

As an example, FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary format of two types ofWHMN message 500, namely WHMN data message 550 and WHMN control message540. Herein, according to this embodiment, both WHMN data message 550and WHMN control message 540 are routed by encapsulating these messageswithin an Ethernet packet 520. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, Ethernetpacket 520 includes a 24-byte WHMN header 530 that is inserted after anEthernet header 522. WHMN header 530 includes a destination MAC address532 to identify a destination for WHMN message 500 and a source MACaddress 534 to identify a source of WHMN message 500. Other information536 also may be placed within header 530 including, but not limited to,a protocol version that identifies a version of the system protocolarchitecture, a control flag, a frame type as being data or control, aframe length, a QoS feature, a Time-to Live (TTL) value that specifieshow long (in hops) the message is allowed to “live” on the network whereeach hop causes the TTL value to be reduced by one, a sequence numberthat indicates the sequence of the frame within a complete messagetransaction, and a data protocol type.

For control messages (e.g. discovery, authentication, routing), 4-bytecontrol header 542 is inserted after header 530, where control header542 includes type 508, header length 544, and message length 546. Aftercontrol header 542, a message body (content) 548 of WHMN control message540 is inserted. For Discovery messages, for instance, content 548 is achallenge text as described below.

For WHMN data messages 550, however, an IP data packet received from theOSI network layer is attached to Ethernet packet 520 after WHMN header530 in lieu of control header 542 and content 548 to form a WHMN datamessage 550.

FIG. 7 illustrates one embodiment of an AutoIP (AIP) probe message(AIPPROBE_FWD) 604 generated by a new node 602 within a WHMN 600according to one embodiment. FIG. 7 illustrates one embodiment forgenerating a unique IP address 608 in a distributed manner for multi-hopWHMN 600. According to the WHMN described, such networks may includefixed-location and mobile nodes that are subject to frequent link “upand down” due to node mobility or node failure. Lack of adequate meansfor generating a distributed IP address assignment may result in addresscollision detection.

Referring again to FIG. 7, when a new node 602 joins network 600, node602 broadcasts a request message (AIPPROBE_FWD) 604 with its candidateIP address to all nodes within WHMN 600 to determine if there is an IPaddress collision between the candidate IP address and the IP address ofan existing node. If a collision occurs, the receiving node with thesame address may unicast a reply message (AIPPROBE_CLS) 604 to thesender (new node 602). In response, node 602 (sender) regenerates an IPaddress and goes over the same process. In WHMN, all the probe messagessuch as AIPPROBE_FWD and AIPPROBE_CLS are automatically forwardedbetween individual nodes so that the probe messages can reach all thenodes in the WHMN.

FIG. 8 further illustrates WHMN 600 and IP address regeneration 634 inresponse to a received AIP probe collision message 632, according to oneembodiment. Representatively, Node N 602 is a newly-joined node of WHMN600. After initially generating IP address (for example, 192.168.10.219)608, Node N 602 broadcasts this IP address in a message 604 to all nodes(610-630). After each node receives message 604, each node may retrievea candidate IP address from message 604. As described herein, acandidate IP address refers to an initial address generated by a newnode within a WHMN. In addition, the candidate IP address may bere-generated, when a collision is detected, if the node was not thefirst node to have a matching IP address. Hence, each node, in responseto message 604, may compare the candidate IP address 608 with its own IPaddress.

For example, as shown in FIG. 8, node 630 has a matching IP address 636to the candidate IP address 608 of node 602. Representatively, node 630detects an IP address collision and, in response to detection of the IPaddress collision, broadcasts an AIP probe collision message 632 to thesender (node 602). In response to receipt of collision message 632, node602 may regenerate a candidate IP address 634 as, for example,192.168.100.43. In one embodiment, node 602 rebroadcasts an AIP probemessage with the new candidate IP address 634. This process may berepeated until there are no more IP address collisions within WHMN 600.

During the course of WHMN operations, nodes can split from the networkand then later merge back into the network. To detect merging of thenetworks, nodes may periodically check a routing table to determine thestatus of the various paths to neighboring nodes within a WHMN. Forexample, a recovered path may indicate a change in status from, forexample, “dirty” to “paved.” In one embodiment, this functionality isperformed by network merge logic 440 as shown in FIG. 4.

In one embodiment, when logic 440 detects a recovered path, one of thenodes should initiate the collision detection process. To avoidunnecessary broadcasting, an algorithm is used to select the node withthe largest MAC address as the initiator, and the node with the smallerMAC address will keep silence. Thus a node will compare its own MACaddress with the corresponding neighbor's MAC address. In oneembodiment, the node with the larger MAC address broadcasts a probemessage to nodes in the network to collect other IP address pathinformation which may be cached locally. The probe message may bereferred to as an AIP probe request message, which is a broadcastmessage in a controlled manner with the help of a session ID (SID),session sequence number (SSQ), and time to live (TTL).

For example, as shown in FIG. 9, WHMN 640 illustrates a new node 620which joins WHMN 640 according to one embodiment. As compared to WHMN600, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, WHMN 640 has been partitioned since node630 is no longer a part of WHMN 600. As further shown in FIG. 9, newnode 642 joins a WHMN node (G) 630. Representatively, FIG. 9 illustratesa situation where WHMN 600 is split into two networks after node 620fails or moves out of the network. As further illustrated, node H 642joins the network after the failure of node 620 by broadcasting AIPprobe message 644 with its newly generated IP address (192.168.100.43)646. Because new node 642 does not receive a collision message, itaccepts the candidate IP address 646 as its unique IP address 646.

FIG. 10 illustrates WHMN network 650 after merging networks 600 and 640shown in FIG. 9, with the recovery of node 620. In the exampledescribed, node 620 may detect the merging of the networks by detectinga recovery of its link with one of nodes 624, 614, or 612. After node620 detects the merging of networks, it broadcasts an AIP probe requestmessage (AIPPROBE_REQ) 654 with its own candidate IP address 626. Inresponse to message 654, all other nodes will unicast back anAIPPROBE_CFM message 664 to node 620 to confirm with their own IPaddresses. Node 620 will compare the received IP addresses with its owncandidate IP address and each entry of its own IP cache table 662 (seeFIG. 11). If no collision is detected, node 620 may store its candidateIP address into IP cache table 662. However, if node 620 detects acollision when it compares the reply messages, node 620 may send acollision message (AIPPROBE_CLS) 674 (see FIG. 12) to the nodes with IPaddress collisions. Those nodes which have a less IP address processingtime will be forced to change their IP addresses.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, node 620 detects a collisionbetween an IP address of node 642 and node 602, which causes node 620 tosend a collision message 674 to node 642. In response, node 642 willregenerate a candidate IP address 648 after receiving the collisionmessage 674 from node 620, as shown in FIG. 12.

FIG. 13 is a message flow diagram performed by a new node as part of anautomated IP address generation, for example, as performed by IPgeneration logic 430 as shown in FIG. 4. Representatively, a new node702 may broadcast a candidate IP address 736 using a broadcast message(AIPPROBE_FWD) 730. As shown in FIG. 13, arrow 710 illustrates thebroadcast of a candidate IP address using message 730. As further shownin FIG. 13, an established node 704 detects a match between candidate IPaddress 736 and IP address 746 of node 704. In response to thecollision, established node 704 may broadcast an IP address collisionmessage (AIPPROBE_CLS) 740, as shown by arrow 720.

FIG. 14 illustrates a message flow diagram 750 that may be performedbetween a new node (Node A) 702 and an existing node (Node B) 704 inresponse to link recovery, according to one embodiment.Representatively, Node A 702 may detect link recovery. In response todetection of link recovery, Node A 702 may issue an IP address requestmessage 762 as shown by arrow 760. In response to message 762, Node B704 may respond with an IP address confirmation message 772 thatincludes an IP address of Node B 704. In one embodiment, link recoveryis determined by Node A 702 according to IP cache table 752 which willgenerally indicate a status of the various links to which Node B 704 isconnected. Representatively, Node A 702 detects a collision according toIP address 774 and issues a collision message (AIPPROBE_CLS) 782 asindicated by arrow 780. Procedural methods for implementing one or moreembodiments are now described.

Operation

FIG. 15 is a flow chart illustrating a method 800 for automated IPaddress generation within a multi-tier wireless home mesh network,according to one embodiment. The automated IP address generation may beperformed within a wireless home mesh network (WHMN), for example, asdepicted in FIG. 1, utilizing an OEM/WHMN-enabled electronics device asdescribed in FIG. 4, in accordance with one embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 15, a new node 802 performs an automated IP addressgeneration beginning at IP generator start block 820. Representatively,node 802 will generate a candidate IP address based on one or morerandom seed values as described above. Node 802 may place the candidateIP address, as well as an ESSID, within an IP broadcast message(AIP_PROBE) 824, which is broadcast at process block 822. Subsequent tobroadcast of message 824, node 802 may set a timer at process block 830and at process block 840 to determine if a message response is receivedby a predetermined timeout period.

In response to the AIP probe message 824, node 810 may listen on asocket at process block 812. At process block 826, in response to adetected AIP probe message 824, at process block 826, node 810 maycompare a candidate IP address with an IP address of node 810. If amatch is detected at process block 822, node 840 may broadcast acollision message 834 to node 802. However, if a collision is notdetected, at process block 850 node 810 may store a MAC address of node802 in an IP cache table at process block 854. However, if a MAC addressof node 802 is stored in the IP cache table, an ESSID of the message maybe compared to an ESSID of the table at process block 852. If the valuesare equal and the message sequence number is greater than the cachedsequence number in the sequence table, the cache table is updated withthe IP address and new sequence number of node 802 at process block 860.Otherwise, at process block 858, the message is discarded. At processblock 862, the cache table is updated with node 802's ESSID and its SSQ.Finally, at process block 864, an AIP probe message may be forward tonode 802.

Referring again to FIG. 15, if a message is received within a timeoutperiod, an address collision is detected at process block 842 andprocess blocks 820-830 may be repeated until a collision is notdetected. When a collision is not detected, node 802 may commit this IPaddress to a mesh interface at process block 844.

FIGS. 16A and 16B are flow charts illustrating a method 900 for IPcollision detection and resolution to provide automated IP generationwithin a wireless home mesh network according to one embodiment. Duringthe course of WHMN operation, nodes can split from a network and thenlater merge back. To detect the merging of networks, a node willperiodically check a routing table to see if a route path to a neighborhas changed from broken to recovered (from “dirty” to “paved”).

For example, as shown in FIG. 16A at process block 970, the detectorstart block is followed by synchronization of link status in an IP cachetable. Based on such synchronization at process block 974, it isdetermined whether any broken links are detected. When a broken link isdetected, a record is generated at process block 976. At process block978 it is determined whether any link is recovered. If a link isrecovered, at process block 980, it is determined whether a MAC addressof a collision detector node 902 is greater than a MAC address of therecovered node. When such is detected, IP address collision resolutionis initiated at process block 982, with control flow going to resolve orstart block 904.

Representatively, at process block 906, a message is broadcast to eachnode to collect other IP address information from each of the nodes,which is cached locally. At process blocks 932 and 934, it is determinedwhether a message is received by a timeout period, which may be retriedat process block 935.

Referring now to FIG. 16B, in response to AIP probe message 908, atprocess block 912, node 910 may listen on a socket in response to themessage 908 to determine whether a MAC address of node 902 is containedwithin a cache table. If the MAC address is not contained within thecache table, at process block 918 the address may be added to the cachetable as a new entry. Otherwise, the comparison of ESSIDs and messagesequence numbers may be performed at process blocks 916 and 920 todetermine whether to discard the message at process block 922. If themessage is not discarded, at process block 926 a confirmation responsemessage is unicast and an IP cache table is updated with an IP address,an ESSID, and an SSQ at process block 940. At process block 942, aconfirmation request message may be forwarded to Node A.

Referring again to FIG. 16A, based on received confirmation response930, node 908 may compare and determine whether an address of node 910collides with an entry in a cache table at process block 936. If acollision is detected, at process block 950, node 902 may send acollision message 952. Once all good links have responded, the IPaddress collision is resolved successfully. Referring now to FIG. 16B,collision detection message 952 triggers an address collision at processblock 954. At process block 956, IP address generation is performed toselect a new candidate IP address.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the various links between tier 2 nodes, suchas flat-panel TVs 130, 131, and 132, gaming console 140, and desktopcomputer 150 may provide a backhaul 170 of the network 100. As indicatedabove, this backhaul of the network may route, for example, highdefinition (HD) video content to provide a television-centric network.In a television-centric network where content stored, for example, on TV130 may be routed within network 100 and displayed on any of TVs131-132, and/or provided to desktop computer 150 or gaming console 140.Hence, regardless of the location within the WHMN 100, content may berouted to any desired tier 2 device.

Furthermore, access to external networks via tier 1 devices 110-111,such as gateway node 120, is provided. For example, a user in the backyard using laptop computer 166 may establish a link with gaming console140 to join WHMN 100. Based on joining of the network, this user mayaccess gateway node 120 via multi-hop path including game console 140,digital television 132, desktop computer 150, and backhaul link 170.

In addition to network extension capabilities, WHMN 100 may enableaccess from various tier 3 devices including handheld video recorder162, music player 168, or the like, to stream content from such devicesthroughout the network. In addition, tier 3 devices (160-169) can loadcontent within, for example, a music player 168 which is outside of WHMN100. In the embodiments described the various tier 2 or 3 devices may befrom the same OEM, such as Sony® Electronics. However, other non-OEMdevices may be enabled for joining and accessing WHMN 100. Accordingly,such devices, once activated, will automatically form a wireless ad hocnetwork with minimal user interaction beyond selection of desirednetworks, creation of additional networks, or password information fornetwork authentication.

Alternate Embodiments

Several aspects of one implementation of the wireless ad hoc homenetwork for providing improved home electronic device connectivity aredescribed. However, various implementations of the wireless ad hoc homenetwork provide numerous features including, complementing,supplementing, and/or replacing the features described above. Featurescan be implemented as part of the access point or as part of thewireless devices in different embodiment implementations. In addition,the foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specificnomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments ofthe invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the artthat the specific details are not required in order to practice theembodiments of the invention.

It is to be understood that even though numerous characteristics andadvantages of various embodiments of the present invention have been setforth in the foregoing description, together with details of thestructure and function of various embodiments of the invention, thisdisclosure is illustrative only. In some cases, certain subassembliesare only described in detail with one such embodiment. Nevertheless, itis recognized and intended that such subassemblies may be used in otherembodiments of the invention. Changes may be made in detail, especiallymatters of structure and management of parts within the principles ofthe embodiments of the present invention to the full extent indicated bythe broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims areexpressed.

Having disclosed exemplary embodiments and the best mode, modificationsand variations may be made to the disclosed embodiments while remainingwithin the scope of the embodiments of the invention as defined by thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: establishing, by anelectronics device, a unique IP address within a detected wireless homemesh network to establish the electronics device as one of a mobile nodeand a stationary node of the wireless home mesh network, the wirelesshome mesh network including a plurality of nodes, the plurality of nodesincludes at least one stationary home electronics device as a stationarynode, wherein establishing the unique IP address is performedautomatically and includes generating a random value using a MAC addressof a new node, a current time-stop, and a random seed value, adding adefault IP prefix to the random value to form a candidate IP address,issuing a probe message that is broadcast to a wireless home meshnetwork, including a MAC address of the new node and the IP candidateselected by the new node, and receiving an IP address collision messageif the candidate IP value matches an IP address of a node within thewireless home mesh network; and routing packets between the plurality ofnodes of the wireless home mesh network.
 2. A method comprising:establishing, by an electronics device, a unique IP address within adetected wireless home mesh network to establish the electronics deviceas one of a mobile node and a stationary node of the wireless home meshnetwork, the wireless home mesh network including a plurality of nodes,the plurality of nodes include at least one stationary home electronicsdevice as a stationary node, wherein establishing the unique IP addressincludes the electronics device: broadcasting a candidate IP address tothe wireless home mesh network, if the candidate IP address matches anIP address of one node of the wireless home mesh network, receiving acollision message from the one node, and regenerating the candidate IPaddress to obtain a regenerated candidate IP address, the regeneratedcandidate IP address being different from the candidate IP address, andbroadcasting the regenerated candidate IP address to the wireless homemesh network; and routing packets between the plurality of nodes of thewireless home mesh network.
 3. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: wirelessly interconnecting one or more stationary homeelectronics devices to form a backhaul of the wireless home meshnetwork; and wirelessly exchanging high definition (HD) video contentbetween the one or more stationary nodes of the wireless home meshnetwork.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: establishing awireless link with a stationary node to join the wireless home meshnetwork as a mobile node; and sharing services and content with thestationary node.
 5. The method of claim 2, further comprising: joiningthe wireless home mesh network if a connection confirmation is received;generating the candidate IP address according to a random seed value; ifthe candidate IP address does not match an IP address of any of theplurality of nodes, storing the candidate IP address as the unique IPaddress of the electronic device within the wireless home mesh network.6. The method of claim 1, wherein an 8-bit portion of the candidate IPaddress is generated as a random value.
 7. The method of claim 1,further comprising: retrying issuance of the IP candidate probe message;and establishing a candidate IP address as an address of a new node ifan IP collision message is not received within a predetermined number ofretries.
 8. A method, comprising: receiving, by one of a mobile node anda stationary node of a wireless home mesh network, an IP probe messagefrom a new node of the wireless home mesh network, the IP probe messageincluding a candidate IP address generated by the new node, the one of amobile node and a stationary node being a first node; if the candidateIP address matches an IP address of the first node, sending, by thefirst node, a collision message to the new node if the candidate IPaddress matches an IP address of the first node, and receiving, by thefirst node, a regenerated candidate IP address from the new node, theregenerated candidate IP address being different from the candidate IPaddress; and if the candidate IP address does not match the IP addressof the first node or any of the plurality of nodes included in thewireless home mesh network, confirming that the candidate IP address isunique within the wireless home mesh network, the unique candidate IPaddress to enable the new node to perform multi-tier packet forwardingfor routing packets between mobile nodes and stationary nodes of thewireless home mesh network.
 9. The method of claim 8, furthercomprising: accessing, by a mobile node, digital content from astationary node of the wireless home mesh network.
 10. The method ofclaim 8, further comprising: receiving a request for high definition(HD) video stored within a stationary node; and streaming the HD videovia a backhaul of stationary nodes over the wireless home mesh network.11. An apparatus comprising: a wireless communications interface; acontroller, including network initialization logic, to establish awireless home mesh network; network discovery logic to enable exchangeof one or more proprietary messages to join a detected wireless homemesh network as a first node being one of a mobile node and a stationarynode of the wireless home mesh network; and address generation logic toenable packet routing between mobile nodes and stationary nodes of thewireless home mesh network, wherein the address generation logic is toestablish a unique IP address within a detected wireless home meshnetwork to establish an electronics device as the first node, whereinthe address generation logic is to generate a new IP address for thefirst node if a collision response is received.
 12. The apparatus ofclaim 11, wherein the apparatus comprises one of a mobile electronicsdevice, a gaming console, and a digital television.
 13. The apparatus ofclaim 11, wherein the wireless home mesh network including at least onestationary home electronics device as a stationary node.
 14. Theapparatus of claim 11, further comprising collision detection logic tonotify a recovered node of an IP address collision if an IP addressreceived in response to the collision detection message matches thecandidate IP address.
 15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein thecollision detection logic is further to issue a collision response if areceived response includes a match IP address.
 16. A system, comprising:a wireless gateway coupled to a wired network to operate as a gatewaynode of a wireless home mesh network; a stationary home electronicsdevice including a wireless interface to communicate with the wirelessgateway to operate as a stationary node of the wireless home meshnetwork; and a mobile electronics device including a wireless interfaceto communicate with a stationary node to join the wireless home meshnetwork as a mobile node, wherein stationary and mobile nodes of thewireless home mesh network automatically establish a unique IP addressto perform multi-tier packet forwarding for routing packets between themobile and stationary nodes of the wireless home mesh network to streamdigital content within the wireless home mesh network, whereinautomatically establishing a unique IP address includes: generating arandom value using a MAC address of a new node, a current time-stop, anda random seed value, adding a default IP prefix to the random value toform a candidate IP address, issuing a probe message that is broadcastto a wireless home mesh network, including a MAC address of the new nodeand the IP candidate selected by the new node, and receiving an IPaddress collision message if the candidate IP value matches an IPaddress of a node within the wireless home mesh network.
 17. The systemof claim 16, wherein the stationary home electronics device is one of adigital television, a gaming console, and a desktop computer.
 18. Thesystem of claim 16, wherein one or more stationary home electronicsdevices wirelessly interconnect to form a backhaul of the wireless homemesh network.
 19. The system of claim 16, wherein the stationary nodesfurther comprise: streaming logic to wirelessly exchange high definition(HD) video content between the one or more stationary nodes of thewireless home mesh network.
 20. A method, comprising: detecting recoveryof a link with a recovered node of a wireless home mesh network;broadcasting a collision detection message according to a candidate IPaddress of the recovered node; and notifying the recovered node of an IPaddress collision if an IP address received in response to the collisiondetection message matches the candidate IP address; and regenerating bythe recovered node a regenerated candidate IP address of the recoverednode being different from the candidate IP address.
 21. The method ofclaim 20, further comprising: confirming that the candidate IP addressor the regenerated candidate IP address is unique within the wirelesshome mesh network, to enable the new node to perform multi-tier packetforwarding for routing packets between mobile nodes and stationary nodesof the wireless home mesh network.
 22. The method of claim 20, whereinnotifying further comprises: collecting an IP address from each nodewithin the wireless home mesh network in response to the broadcastcollision detection message; comparing the collected IP addresses to thecandidate IP address to detect a collision; and broadcasting a collisiondetection message to the new node if a collision is detected.
 23. Themethod of claim 20, wherein the collision detection message is broadcastby the recovered node.